Looper mechanism for sewing-machines.



A. H. DE VOE. LOOPER MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1911.

1,085,801, Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

ALBERT H. DE VOE, OF WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR '10v THE SING-ERMANUFACTURING COMPANY, A, CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

LOOPER MECHANISM FOR SEWING-1VIACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 30, 1911.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

Serial No. 605,391.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. DE Von, a citizen of the United States,residing at \Vestfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looper Mechanismfor Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple and effectivemeans for imparting to the looper of a sewing machine endwiseloop-seizing movements and sidewise needle-avoiding movements.

In its preferred form, the improvement comprises a rotary shaft carryingan actuating eccentric embraced by a loose collar con-, fined thereonagainst endwise movement and provided upon one side with a tubularhearing or guide-socket arranged at an angle with the axis of the shaftand entered by a similarly inclined pin secured to a rocking and slidinglooper-carrier formed with a hub or sleeve loosely fitted upon asupporting pin parallel with the said shaft.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly insection, of the forward portion of a sewing machine provided with thepresent improvement, and Fig. 2 a front end elevation of the same withthe face-plate removed and the base and work-plate in transversesection. Fig. 3 is a detached plan view of the looper mechanism andfeeding mechanism. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the collar providedwith the inclined guide-socket. Fig. 5 is a perspective elevational viewand Fig. 6 a plan of the looper.

The present improvement is embodied in the well known Singer No. 62double-chainstitch machine, and is constructed with a frame comprisingthe bed 1 from the rearward end of which rises the hollow standard 2with overhanging tubular arm 3 formed with the hollow head 4 in which isjournaled the reciprocating needle-bar 5 carrying the needle 6 andprovided with the fixed collar 7 connected by the link 8 with thecrank-arm 9'upon the rock-shaft 1O journaled in the overhanging arm 3and deriving its operative movements from the usual connection with themain-shaft 11 disposed longitudinally of the base beneath the work-plate12 and journaled in suitable bearing members 13 and 14 rising from thebase.

Upon the'reduced. forward portion 11* of the driving shaft is mountedthe looperactuatmg eccentric 15 formed at one end with the flange 16 towhich is applied the set-screw 17 by means of which the eccentric isfixed upon the shaft. Fitted upon the eccentric 15 is the loose collar18 provided upon one side with the transverse tubular boss 19 having itsaperture 20 arranged at an inclination to the axis of the main-shaft.The bore of the boss 19 affords a guideway for the similarly inclinedpin 21 having one end portion secured by means of the set-screw 22 in asocket formed in the boss 23 upon a lateral arm 24 of a sleeve 25slidingly fitted upon a supporting. pin 26 mounted in the bearingmembers 13 and 14 beneath and parallel with, the main-shaft. The arm 24is provided upon the side opposite the boss 23 with a seat to which issecured by means of screws 27 the foot of the looper-carrying arm 28provided with the usual socket in which is secured by means of theset-screw 29 the shank 30 of the looper 31 formed with the laterallycurved blade 32 having the usual thread-eye 33 in its point. At the heelof the blade the looper is provided with the lateral ear 34 providedwith the threadeye 35 through which the looper-thread is passed to theeyed forward end of the looperblade.

The collar 18 is confined against endwise movement upon its supportingeccentric between the eccentric-fiange 16 and the flange 36 of thefeed-lifting eccentric 37 mounted upon the reduced portion 11 of themainshaft upon which it is secured by a set-screw 38. The eccentric 37is embraced by the collar 39 having the transverse socket 40 in which issecuredthe slide-pin 41 fitted witlr in a guide-aperture in the lateralarm 42 of the feed-rocker 43 mounted upon the fulcrum-pin 44 andcarrying a pin 45 upon which are secured the perforated lugs 46 of thefeed-bar 47 carrying the feed-dog 48. The pin 45 has fixed thereto thelateral arm 49 provided with the socket 50 within which is secured theslide-pin 51 fitted within a depending transverse guiding boss 52 of theloose collar 53 embracing the feed-actuating eccentric 54 upon thecollar 55 fixed upon the main-shaft 11. The collar 39 is confinedagainst endwise movement between the flange 36 of the eccentric 37 and acollar 56 fixed upon the main-shaft extension l1 by means of set-screwsThe feed-dog 48 operates in the usual manner through the aperture 58 inthe throat-plate 59 in con junction with the presser-foot 60 upon thePresser-bar 61 journaled in the head a of the bracket-arm and normallypressed downwardly by means of the spring 62.

In threading the machine, the needlethread is led from the source ofsupply to the tension 63 upon the front of the bracketarm and thencethrough the guide-loop 64 and the eye 65 of the take-up lever 66downwardly to the eye of the needle. The looperthread is led from itssource of supply through the tension device 67 upon the rear of thebracket-arm and thence downwardly beneath the work-plate and through thefixed guide-eye 68 upon the bottom of the same to the guide-eye 35 atthe heel of the looper and thence to the eye 33 in the looper point.

In the position of the parts represented in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the needlehas just completed its descent and the looper is in ex treme retractedposition at which time it is performing its needle-avoiding movementtoward the right. As the machine continues its operation, the needlebegins its ascent and the loo-per moves past the righthand side of theneedle in seizing a threadloop therefrom. After arriving near extremeadvance position, the looper performs successively its sidewise movementto the left and retrograde movement to bring its eyed forward portion tothe left of the needle-path, and the needle point descends slightly inadvance of the thread-eye 33 and at the right of the looper-blade toengage the looper-thread between the looper point and the work,retaining the looper-thread loop thus formed until the subsequentadvance of the looper into the succeeding needle-thread loop. The degreeof inclination of the slide-pin 21 and the guiding boss 19 obviouslydetermines the extent of sidewise movement of the looper-blade, and themovement of the guiding boss 19 toward and from the looper-sustainingpin or arbor 26, in addition to its revolving motion upon the shaft 11,serves to produce a quick advance of the looper in seizing thethreadloops from the needle and a retarded retiring movement. Theaccelerated advance movement of the looper point toward the needle pathpermits of a comparatively short movement of the needle-eye beneath thethroat-plate and the formation of a correspondingly small needle-threadloop which is promptly seized by the looper in the initial portion ofthe needles ascending move- Inent, while the retarded retrogrademovement of the looper affords ample time for the completion of theascent of the needle and the descent of its point in front of thelooper-thread leading from the looper-eye to the work while thepreviously formed needle-thread loop is detained upon the blade of thelooper. As the slide-pin 21 is fixed to the sleeve 25 sustaining thelooper-carrying arm, this pin obviously maintains at all times the sameangular relation with the supporting pin or support 26 for theloopercarrier and also bears a fixed angular rela tion with the shaft11, although it moves bodily toward and from the latter in the operationof the mechanism.

The lateral curvature of the looper-blade 32 to the right, asrepresented more particularly in Figs. 3 and 6, serves to insure thedeflection of the needle-thread loop extending from the throat-plate andaround the looper-blade so as to prevent the entrance of the needle intothe same in its descent for presentation of the succeeding needle-threadloop for seizure by the looper.

The looper-blade 32 is bowed laterally upon the side opposite theneedle-path when the looper is advancing to seize ,a needlethread loop,and the lateral guide-ear 34 at the heel of the looperblade is arrangedupon the same side. By this means, the needle-thread may be led throughthe guideeye 35 above or beneath the bowed portion of the looper-blade32 to the opposite side of the looperpoint through the looper-eye 33 soas to lie against the face of the forward portion of the looper-bladewhich retains the needle-thread loop at the time the needle isdescending for engagement with the loopenthread. The confinement of theloper-thread thus against the face of the looper-blade serves to avoidthe production of a wedge-shaped support for the needlethread loopcomprising the convex face of the looper-blade and the looper-threadintermediate the thread-eyes in the point and heel of the looper-blade,which would tend to shed the needle-thread loop forwardly and advancethe same into the needle-path as the needle-point descends forengagement with the looper-thread.

It is obvious that the shape and position of the looper-blade in itsdescribed movements will determine whether or not the needle will passthrough loops of its own thread in its descent for presentation of asucceeding loop for seizure by the looper, and it is therefore evidentthat the looperblade may be threaded or non-threaded for productionrespectively of a double-thread or single-thread chain-stitch seam.

From the foregoing description, it is evi dent that the particular meansof mounting the looper and the details of construction and arrangementof its actuating means are not essentials of the present improvement,although the embodiment of the invention herein shown and described isdeemed preferable.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis 1. The combination with a reciprocating needle and a shaft carryingan actuating.

member fixed thereon, of a looper-carrier mounted for movementlongitudinally and transversely of said shaft, a looper mounted thereonfor cooperation with said needle in the production of stitches, afollowing member arranged in operative relation with said actuatingmember and movable transversely of but confined against movementlongitudinally of said shaft, and an operative connection between saidfollowing member and the looper-carrier and comprising a slide-pin and aguideway fitted thereto and each rigidly secured to a different one ofsaid connected parts and inclined relatively to the axis of said shaft.

2. The combination with a reciprocating needle and a rotary shaftprovided with an eccentric, of a looper-carrier mounted for movementlongitudinally and transversely of said shaft, a looper mounted thereonfor cooperation with said needle in the production of stitches, a loosecollar fitted upon said eccentric and confined against endwise movementthereon, and a sliding connection between said looper-carrier and saidloose collar and comprising a pin and a guideway fitted thereto and eachcarried by a difierent one of said connected parts and inclinedrelatively to the aXis of said shaft.

3. The combination with a reciprocating needle and a rotary shaftprovided with an eccentric, of a looper-carrier mounted for movementlongitudinally and transversely of said shaft, a looper mounted thereonwith its blade arranged transversely to said shaft and adapted forcooperation with said needle in the production of stitches, a. loosecollar fitted upon said eccentric and confined against endwise movementthereon, and a sliding connection between the said loopercarrier andsaid loose collar and comprising a pin and a guideway fitted thereto andeach carried by a different one of said connected parts and inclinedrelatively to the axis of said shaft.

i. The combination with a reciprocating needle and a rotary shaftprovided with an eccentric, of a looper-carrier, a support thereforarranged substantially parallel with said shaft and upon which saidloopercarrier is adapted to oscillate and to slide endwise of the same,a looper mounted upon said carrier for cooperation with said needle inthe production of stitches, a loose collar fitted upon said eccentricand confined against endwise movement thereon, and a sliding connectionbetween said looper-carrier and said loose'collar and comprising a pinand a guideway fitted thereto and each carried by a different one ofsaid connected parts and inclined relatively to the axis of said shaft.

5. The combination with a reciprocating needle and a rotary shaftprovided with an eccentric, of a looper-carrier mounted for movementlongitudinally and transversely of said shaft, a looper mounted thereonfor cooperation with said needle in the production of stitches, a loosecollar fitted upon said eccentric and confined against endwise movementthereon and formed with a lateral boss having a. guide-aperture inclinedto the axis of said shaft, and a slide-pin similarly inclined andentering the aperture of said boss and secured to said looper-carrier.

6. The combination with a reciprocating needle and a rotary shaftprovided with an eccentric, of a looper-carrier mounted for movementlongitudinally and transversely of said shaft, a looper mounted thereonfor cooperation with said needle in the production of stitches andformed with an eye-pointed blade bowed laterally toward the sideopposite the needle-path in its loop-seizing movement, a loose collarfitted upon said eccentric and confined against movement thereonlengthwise of said shaft, and a connection between said loopercarrierand said loose collar and comprising a pin and a guideway fitted theretoand each carried by a different one of said connected parts and inclinedrelatively to the axis of said shaft.

7 The combination with a shaft, of an actuating member mounted thereon,aloopercarrier, a looper sustained thereby, a support independent ofsaid shaft upon which the looper-carrier is movable both longitudinallyand transversely of said shaft, and looper operating means connectingthe looper-carrier with said actuating member and comprising an elementmaintained in fixed angular relation with said shaft and with saidsupport and confined against movement lengthwise of said shaft.

8. The combination with a shaft, of an actuating member mounted thereon,a loopercarrier, a looper sustained thereby, a support disposed parallelwith the shaft upon which the looper-carrier is movable bothlongitudinally and transversely of said shaft, and looper-operatingmeans consisting of a single connection between said actuating memherand the looper-carrier and comprising an element embracing and confinedagainst movement axially of said actuating member for imparting to thelooper-carrier each of its operative movements.

9. The combination with a shaft, of an actuating member mounted thereon,a loopercarrier, a looper sustained thereby, a support disposed parallelwith the shaft upon which the looper-carrier is mounted for sliding andv In testimony whereof, I have signed my osclllatory movements, andlooper-operatlng name to thls specification, 1n the presence of meansComprising an element elnbraclng two subserlbing wltnesses.

said actuating member and having a sliding ALBERT H. DE VOE. 5connection with the looper-can'ier which Witnesses:

connection maintains a fixed angular rela- H. A. KORNEMANN,

tion with said. shaft. W. P. STEWART.

Copier of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). (3.

